longing

[ lawng-ing, long- ]

noun

1. strong, persistent desire or craving, especially for something unattainable or distant:

   filled with longing for home.

   Synonyms: aspiration

   Antonyms: apathy

2. an instance of this:

   a sudden longing to see old friends.

adjective

1. having or characterized by persistent or earnest desire:

   a longing look.

   Synonyms: yearning, desirous

longing

/ ˈlɒŋɪŋ /

noun

1. a prolonged unfulfilled desire or need

adjective

1. having or showing desire or need

   a longing look

Derived Forms

• ˈlongingly, adverb

Other Words From

• longing·ly adverb
• longing·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of longing¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English langung; equivalent to long ² + -ing ¹

Synonym Study

See desire.

Example Sentences

With Hegseth, this is obvious in his longing to kick women out of combat roles.

From Salon

Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia remembers seeing Wong Kar-wai’s “Chungking Express” as a teenager and adoring its dreamlike vibe of romantic longing so much that she wanted to hop on the next flight to Hong Kong so she could get lost wandering through the city’s neon-lit streets.

From Los Angeles Times

Scott Thomas added that she had been “longing for stability” rather than traveling the world, including sleeping in the same bed for more than two weeks at a time.

From Los Angeles Times

I refuse to feel foolish in my longing for more humanity.

From Slate

The passage of time, grief for those we have lost, longing for a better world that seems perpetually out of reach — all of these things can be frightening.

From Los Angeles Times